The present invention relates to the field of trainers. More specifically, the present invention relates to the training of firefighters in the proper techniques for combatting fires in deep fat fryers.
The invention disclosed is an apparatus, a simulator that requires the same conduct from the firefighter as does a fire in an operational fryer. The techniques employed to combat the controlled fire generated by the present invention are the same as those recommended by the experts to combat a fire in a deep fat fryer. And, therein is a primary advantage of the present invention over the prior art.
Previously, cooking oil fires were not simulated. Uncontrolled fires in operational equipment were the primary training ground for firefighters. And, most often these were encountered not in training at all, but in response to an emergency. Where training was attempted under controlled settings, the fire itself was uncontrolled and, as far as known, was fueled with gasoline or kerosene. The chosen setting was sprinkled with fuel and ignited. The fire continued until either the fuel was consumed or successful firefighting techniques were applied. The flame did not respond realistically, however. It was a gas fire, not a cooking oil fire, and nothing was done to try to achieve realistic simulation. Techniques that are successful against a gasoline fire were equally successful against the training fires. Accordingly, until now the firefighter who lacks experience in fighting cooking oil fires in operational deep fat fryers has been ill prepared to successfully respond to such encounters.
Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a controlled emergency environment that responds realistically to techniques applied by firefighters against cooking oil fires in deep fat fryers. Further, the appearance of both the fire and the apparatus are to be realistic in order to acquaint the trainee, as nearly as possible in a simulated environment, with the factors that will be, or are likely to be, encountered in combatting a fire in a deep fat fryer.
The trainee will be guided by the results he obtains and the instruction he receives to the techniques that are most successful--to the optimum firefighting procedure for the type of fire that he has encountered. Just as cooking oil fires are dynamic, the present invention reacts dynamically to optimize the training experience and leave the trainee who has learned his lessons with a sense of confidence.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is a potentially non-pollutant device. It has essentially no particulates and few gaseous products, compared to other smoke abatement systems which include water spray and/or after burner systems. In addition, it is fully adjustable and immediately responsive, and thoroughly safe. It has the extra capability of being interrupted on command, and then resuming the simulation after detailed corrective instruction or adaptive training has been completed. Monitoring of the trainee's performance from a remote location is also contemplated as an optional feature of the invention.
The present application is a companion case to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 086,977, entitled Fire Fighting Simulator, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 086,859, entitled Electrical Fire Fighting Simulator, which have all been filed concurrently.